About / English

Open Port Club is an inter-city exchange project connecting Berlin and Sapporo through music.Sapporo, located in the northernmost part of Japan, is a city that nurtures various forms of cultural and artistic creativity. This exchange project with Berlin aims to invigorate music scenes and artists/creators of Sapporo.While learning from Berlin, a cultural hub for groundbreaking art and creation, the project promotes Sapporo's outstanding music and artists to Berlin.
Open Port Club projects a continued coordination and cultural exchange based on music. Don’t miss out on this new inter-city exchange project originated in Sapporo.

Project Archives

We held the outcome performance event of the residency program which was hold 30th August - 8th September and the participants are Lyra Pramuk, Jessica Ekomane and Why She?. On 12th October, we had stream the feature program about Open Port Club on DOMMUNE which streaming channel. We broadcasted talk and performance from DOMMUNE's studio located in Shibuya, Tokyo. And on 13th October, we held the live event at MIRAI.ST cafe & kitchen located in Sapporo. In addition to the participants performed solo sets, they performed together the track produced during the residency program.
Support : Goethe-Institut Tokyo
Partner : Groove, Berlin Community Radio, FM NORTH WAVE

We carried out the residency program featuring 3 electronic music artists based in Berlin and Sapporo.
The selection of participants was done by 3 sections. Lyra Pramuk was selected from the open call for artist based in Berlin. Jessica Ekomane was selected from the member of [INCUBATOR] which the project of Berlin Community Radio, the partner of Open Port Club. Why She? was selected from the open call for artist based in Hokkaido. All selections were done by the 7 jurors below.
Heiko Hoffmann (Groove) / Sarah Miles (Berlin Community Radio) / Anastasia Filipovna (Berlin Community Radio) / Kuniyuki Takahashi / Yuko Asanuma / Ryota Hattori (Open Port Club) / Ayako Hirano (Open Port Club)
The participants stayed in Sapporo for 10 days, to co-productioned at Tenjinyama Art Studio and Geimori Recording Studio. In the process of music production, Kuniyuki Takahashi who is the adviser of OPC residency program provided advices. And during the program, we provided opportunity for radio recording in FM Northwave and the meeting with SONICWIRE management team which sound distribution website.
Support : Goethe-Institut Tokyo
Partner : Groove, Berlin Community Radio, FM NORTH WAVE

Kuniyuki (mule musiq)
Kuniyuki is based in Sapporo, Japan. His unique musical sense can be described as borderless, and he has been highly praised by producers and DJs from all over the world. He released “Precious Hall,” a tribute song for the clubs in his hometown of Sapporo, through Natural Resource (organized by Joe Claussell), took part in the compilation of 4Hero Dego’s 2000Black, remixed “Cascades of Colour” by Ananda Project, and also released the single “Earth Beats” from Mule Musiq, gaining the passionate support of numerous DJs. From his first album “We are Together” in 2006, he has released seven titles, and with his latest album, “Feather World” in 2012, his music entered a new phase, featuring the one-of-a-kind jazz pianist Fumio Ishibashi and fellow artist Henrik Schwarz. In recent years, he has actively collaborated with international artists such as DJ Nature and Mr Raoul K, also remixing domestic artists such as the Amami Shimauta folksong singer Asazaki Ikue as well as MAREWREW, who sing traditional Ainu songs, and Mouse On The Keys. Since 2013, he has taken part in DJ EMMA's Acid City compilation project, and his track “Acid Air,” which was included on their recent release “Acid City 2,” has been played by DJ Hervey, Giles Peterson and others. In recent years, he has performed not only in Japan but abroad, as well, in Europe, South Africa and elsewhere, where his particular live style has featured a powerful combination of improvisation and dance music.

Naohito Uchiyama (foureal)
Naohito began producing music in 1990s. After releasing his debut album in 2002, he continued to put out numerous works through various labels both in Japan and internationally. His singular sounds consist of particularly original ways of drum programming using wide palette of percussions, and emotionally charged poetic expressions through melodies. Based in Sapporo city, far from the central music scene, his way of working with music is reflecting on himself and envisioning the advancement of his own output rather than surrounding environment or how its received.

Shigeru Tanabu (WAVE MUSIC)
North part of Japan, Sapporo based Japanese DJ/Producer Shigeru Tanabu is also known as a manager at SONICWIRE. Newly arrived in NYC to look for his new start, he had met Brendon Moeller and immediately started to play guitar on "Beat Pharmacy". After 1st Beat Pharmacy album released, he started to produce music and put out several tracks on one of top dance music labels to this date such as Wave Music and Apt. International. Now he is working on several new projects under his moniker "Solid State Soul" for dubstep based and "Manaboo" to produce unique jazzy tech dub disco with Brendon Moeller, and "AZZXSSS" which is the dubstep project with hiphop producer AZZURRO, and Shigeru Tanabu & Jay Ahern which is another unique guitar and acid tech disco project.